With Billups Sidelined, Smith Now a Necessity

On Monday night, the Los Angeles Clippers improved to 15-7 on the season after toppling Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in overtime. It was a huge win for the club, which now sits 2.5 games ahead of the second-place Lakers in the Pacific. However, the win was coupled with what could be a crushing loss. Veteran guard Chauncey Billups, picked up off the amnesty wire during the abbreviated offseason, went down midway through the fourth quarter with what appeared to be an injury to his left Achilles. Official word with regards to Billups’ prognosis is expected to come down after he’s evaluated on Tuesday, but all indications are that he will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The 35-year-old is averaging 15 points per game this season while starting alongside Chris Paul in the revamped Clippers backcourt. Fortunately, if there is any sort of silver lining in a situation such as this, the Clippers roster has been put together in such a way that they̵...